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Strong Executive Directors Lead Healthy Nonprofits
Henry sits patiently at the back door every night. He parks in the middle of the metal threshold, so it’s hard to avoid stepping on him in the dim porch lights. He’s consistent, every night, from dark till, well, whenever he gives it up, which is after I’ve gone on
The How of Humble Inquiry–Dawn Style
When a reader takes the time to comment on something I’ve written it gets my attention. Did I hit my target or miss it all together? Then there are comments like the one Phedra Johnson recently left on “The Benefits of Humble Inquiry between Donors and Nonprofits.” “You gave great
Best Donor Responses to Charity Alarms
The alarm, blinking lights and a voice loudly announcing we should vacate the building immediately interrupted what had up to that moment been a productive morning. The unwelcome interruption to my work flow caused all manner of mental acrobatics. My first reaction was to go to the hallway to see
3 Clues to Discover Your Giving Calling
I read a blog post by Jeff Goins and reflected on his challenge to find my calling. It’s a big challenge for sure, and after thinking about it for a while I drifted toward finding my calling in giving. In essence, my giving calling is the “one big thing” I want to
The Donor Joy Recipe
Donor joy is elusive. If there’s a recipe for donor joy it is hard to find. In my experience the donor tries to get there by throwing a little of this and a little of that into the bowl, leaves out critical ingredients, and doesn’t bake it long enough. The
Cares a Whole Awful Lot
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” That’s sage advice from one of the most popular children’s authors of all time, Dr. Seuss. Giving to the causes you care “a whole awful lot about” should be easy. It should feel
No Secret Recipe
Wouldn’t it be great if you could go online and find a recipe for effective philanthropy that resulted in the perfect gift every time? It would be wonderful to do away with the anxiety of not knowing if your gift accomplished what you hoped for – or even worse –